Asiatico Coffee In Cartagena

One of the main memories that we take from a trip are the flavours of the new and typical dishes of each city that we have tried during our stay, and in Cartagena our coffee tastes like Asian coffee, one of the most emblematic drinks of the city whose origin has different versions.

It is said, the asiatico coffee was invented at the beginning of the 20 century, when the sailors from Asia arrived to Cartagena and used to order coffee with condensed milk and coñac, something strong and sweet to recover from their long journey and this became a tradition and it was named on behalf of them.

They also say that it was a Bar called Pedrín in “El Albujón”, who invented this regional and popular drink. It was in the mid 40´s when Pedro Conesa created this coffee for his clients, and the rest is history.

This magic recipe consists of coffee with condensed milk and brandy, spiced up with a few drops of Liqueur 43, the traditional liqueur created in Cartagena that contains 43 ingredients, including citrus, vanilla, and various herbs and spices, but we will talk about this emblematic liqueur in some future post.

To add to the aromatic experience, Asiático is traditionally served with a few coffee beans, a lemon rind, and occasionally cinnamon. However, it’s not unusual to receive the drink without them.

The warming cocktail is commonly served in a special thick glass that can handle the heat without cracking.

So do not hesitate to order it in any of the local bars during your cruise call in Cartagena, and you will be, first of all delighted with the lovely smell of it when it is served in front of you, and afterwards by the delicious taste of it; having the first sip will taste like heaven. And here´s our piece of advice: do not add any extra sugar to it as it is sweet enough with all the ingredients that are included!